TO-DAY'S PROSPECTS.

Evening Post, Volume LXXXII, Issue 119, 16 November 1911, Page 7

TO-DAY'S PROSPECTS.

(By "Unionist.") To-day, in Victoria, a, general election is being held for the return of a new State House of Assembly. t This time, in keeping with the political stride throughout Australia, the contest is a straight-out one between the nominees of the Murray Government and those of the Labour Opposition. Three years ago there were, three parties in the field. In addition to the Labour candidates and the supporters of the then Bent Government, there were also the progressive Liberals, headed by the present Premier (Mr. Murray). The return of a pledged Labour following of twenty-one members forced a. fusion of the Bent and Murray parties before the end of 1908, and placed Labour oiv the direct Opposition benches, a position it has held continuously since. The election* are being held a week earlier than was anticipated or intended. Through an oversight the wrong date was affixed to the proclamation dissolving Parliament, and the, legal consequence ia an earlier polling day. The campaign has been short and active. But few progress reports have reached this side. Closing of nominations resulted in the unopposed return of eight Ministerialists. Labour is contesting all but one or two of the remaining fiftyeeven electorates. It faces the polls with a retiring strength of twenty-one members, the strongest position it has held since the inception of the party in the State in 1891. There has never been even for the briefest transitory period, a Labour Government in Victoria. In that connection it is the one exception in the political hißtory of the Australian States. Throughout the electorates of the State to-day a. big effort is being made by organised Labour to remove the exception. To oust tho Murray Ministry, Labour would require to win thirty-three of the fiftyseven contested electorates —to retain its retiring; strength' and gain twelve seats. The proposition is a tough one. Since the Labour victory in South Australia, there has never been a Labour " setback '' at any general appeal to the people, excepting, perhaps, the check at Referendum time and the recent adverse vote at the Boothby bye-election. Reasons other than discontent with the general policy and administration of Labour in office easily account for those happenings. In "Victoria to-day it would seem there will be no swing over to' Liberalism, but Labour friends here must not be too sanguine about the prospects of a Government defeat. Labour has to contend with the Opposition of both the big Melbourne dailies on this occasion, the elections have been hurried, there are several scattered country electorates, the Ministerial advantage of eight seats won without opposition, and, above all, there is no influential State Labour paper in publication. The rise of Labour in the State has been a gradual one. At the 1892 elections ten Labour members were returned, and from then onward the party was returned at the several elections as follow: 1894, sixteen; 1897, thirteen; 1900, thirteen; 1902, eleven; 1904, seventeen; 1907, fourteen; 1908, twenty-one., It appears certain that there will, bo a comparatively big Labour gain as a result of to-day's polling. It is not generally expected, however, thai enough seats will be won to ensure a Labour majority in the new House. The cables to-day mention an anticipated Labour gain of four seats, but that is an under estimate, according to reports in the Labour press. Officials of the party predict the return ot from twenty-ciccht to thirty Labour members; enthusiasts do not despair ot the bigger success and tho advent of another Labour iMafeteX ja Australia,